US President Donald Trump has once again found himself after engaging in a heated encounter with an ABC News reporter while he surprised visitors to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC. The visit was connected to the ongoing renovations to the historic site in preparation for the United States 250th anniversary later this summer. But it descended into a political hotspot when Trump seemed to be aggravated by requests to the timing and expense of the project as the world was in turmoil and fuel prices in the United States were climbing.
Trump At Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Trump visited the Reflecting Pool during the visit, where he was shown the work to be done to resurface the iconic spot, which has been damaged by water leakage and dirt buildup, among other problems. During an interaction with the construction workers, Trump lauded the crew members and referred to them as ‘good looking people’ doing ‘great work’. The upgrade is expected to cost about $2 million and will help to revive the state of one of Washington’s most popular attractions before the start of major anniversary celebrations. Reporters with Trump accompanying him asked whether the administration’s emphasis on this type of project was suitable given that Americans were also grappling with issues stemming from the Iran conflict and gas prices climbing.
Watch: Trump Calling ABC Reporter ‘Bitch’
Trump appears to have called ABC reporter Rachel Scott a “bitch” as he walked away from the press.
On camera.
The same man who had the FCC open an investigation into ABC over a Jimmy Kimmel joke.
The same man whose press secretary lectured America about violent rhetoric after… pic.twitter.com/SUoJ8VRm8t
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) May 8, 2026
But Why Did Trump ABC Reporter ‘Bitch’?
The dispute began when ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Trump if the money invested in the reflecting pool renovations was a bad sign of sending the wrong message at a time of economic crisis and instability around the world. Trump seemed irritated by that question and answered abruptly before going on. Trump later used an offensive term towards the reporter, and there were several videos posted online that included captions saying he called the woman a ‘bitch’ on camera. The sound from the viral video was soon up for debate, as viewers replay and dissect the video to see just what Trump had actually said.
Social Media reactions
The viral moment quickly took over X, TikTok and Instagram, sparking political comments and reactions from those who opposed as well as praised the former president. Trump had come across as again hostile to female journalists, and referred to past incidents of confrontations he has had with female reporters at press briefings and campaign events. A lot of users criticized the behavior of the officers towards the media and others made statements about the audio and people were making decisions without facts on social media. But Trump supporters also rallied behind him online saying the controversy was being blown out of proportion for political gain.
Did ABC Respond To This Abuse?
There was no official clarification by Trump or ABC News about the statement when the video was continuing to trend on the internet. But it did come on top of the numerous viral moments between Trump’s media and his own which frequently take center stage in political social media discussions. The idea was to show the world how Trump’s historic landmark was being renovated, but it ended up as another cause for ‘Trump vs the Press’ glamour. The clip has been shared widely and is still a big talking point online still, as to whether this was meant as a joke or something actually said and whether the line was crossed.
Also Read: Watch: Trump Says ‘Hantavirus In Control’, People Dig Out His ‘Covid Will Go Away’ Video From 2020
